Time Does Heal. A Collection of Poems by Julie Day.

Time Does Heal.  A Collection of Poems by Julie Day.

"Life has no meaning when it's devoid of love/ Love is, in fact, what we're all searching for."


Julie Day enlightens us with an interesting and positive approach to the tragic end of a relationship and how to deal with the heartache. "Time will heal" is the ultimate answer, a reassurance that it does because for the writer, she has become whole once more.  And for anyone who has suffered similar break-ups you should feel reassured by this anthology of thirty short verses. Young teenagers embracing their first love affair, diving into the unknown with hormones racing all over the place will seek solace in the poet's advice: "Love yourself/ Love who you are/ Love to love/And you'll go far." Julie Day has plenty of gems to offer to ease the heartache so don't despair. She offers an abundance of sound advice.

The verses are all extremely personal and document the stages of heartbreak. "Reality's Sinking in" is where we begin. "What am I gonna do?" I like the colloquial, informal tone the persona has adopted to address her audience. Adjustments are imperative, a "fresh new start" is paramount after the break-up, especially if it is unexpected as this was. "Time to begin again." This is what most people find daunting especially those who have been in a long-term relationship. Not easy is it? There is an acceptance within the verse that the relationship has actually ended and the final verse suggests a down-to-earth approach, a realisation that you have to learn from your mistakes so that “next time {you} get it right.” And if you do? Yes, you will “find the one destined” to be yours! “The perfect one.” Four easy-to-read quatrains with a regular rhyme scheme, something that many of the poems have in common.

“Get back Up” sounds like an imperative from a detective series like Lewis and uses a touch of humour, bereft in the context of a break-up. It won’t go amiss will it? The sentiment expressed here uses the vernacular-almost-with the “frigging pits” rhyming with “having the shits.” Heartbreak is “a thousand times worse.” The bottom line is that if you don’t get back-up “A broken heart could be with you always,” and we don’t want a melancholic, manic-depressive do we? “Torment” is a powerful emotive word to explain how it feels when you cry non-stop with the pain and suffering, enough to drive you crazy. Positive strength and determination are needed to get over this emotional crisis.


“Gotta pick myself up, get my life back on track.” “A New Chapter” adopts a slightly different structure with full rhymes and half-rhymes. Is it the end or the beginning? It’s the same notion as one door closing whilst another opens.  When you feel low, as if you’ve lost, the reverse is true: “you’re really winning.”  Obviously a bit of reverse psychology here. “Your heart mends/Its broken parts,” followed by an optimistic “Time will heal.” You’ll survive: “You’ll be okay” expressed in the poet’s down-to-earth style. Love will return one day!

“Heal the Pain” adopts a 5 verse appeal emphasising anger, pain and loss. Repetition is used to stress the heartache and the time element to reflect, nurture and: “feel the hurt/feel the emotion” with the hint of the healing process. In stanza four the key word is “heal,” heal the past, your heart, yesterday (past) in order to “make a brand new start.” The verse ends by emphasising the importance of love.

“Real Happiness” explores what is real and long-lasting. In spite of the attraction of material wealth “owning nice clothes or a brand new car” doesn’t necessarily equate with real happiness. “Choose positively…try not to stress.” Once you attain joy in your heart and peace of mind, it opens doors to discover a true love that will last. The truth means you must love yourself then things will fall into place. “Challenges” explores the cyclical nature of life, its ups and downs, using a metaphor of “wearing smiles, not frowns.”


“Into the Unknown” discusses what happens when we are released from grief and look forward to the future with “renewed vigour.” “Find Your Groove” advises us to embrace change: “Change can be scary but it’s also exciting.” Despair transforms a heartache into hope, trust and faith in “Accept.” Discover other pearls of wisdom for yourself in this collection of poems that will heal your heartache.

“Search your heart for what you should do.” And do it!

Publisher: Createspace (Self-Publishing) ISBN: 978-150-320-4294.
REVIEW it by Carol Naylor.

Copyright 2015. Permission must be obtained from the author before any of this article review is reproduced.

Comments

  1. blogger21 November 2020 at 22:50

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Stranger From Lagos by Cyprian Ekwensi

Image
  image courtesy of Google images   Ekwensi was born in Nigeria in 1921. He wrote about the country and people of Nigeria-city life and life in the rural areas. Loko Towns and Other Stories was published in 1966. A Stranger From Lagos was one of the nine stories in that collection.   The writer explores the place of women in society. Lilian is trapped by social conventions. Her fiance treats her like a possession as if he owns her. It is written in third person to allow the writer's thoughts to merge with Lilian's. The protagonist is unable to speak to the stranger in public although it is obvious that there is a strong physical attraction between the two. If Lilian asserts herself she will go against social conventions (for females) and her reputation will be damaged through rife and unhealthy gossip. She will therefore be stigmatised as a loose woman. The story explores her inner conflicts in accepting these "conventions" or flaunting them as well ...
Read more

A Stranger From Lagos by Cyprian Ekwensi Final Part

Image
                                                                    courtesy of Google images Lilian uses her sexuality to liberate as well as attract the opposite sex. Ekwensi uses "wiggled." Lilian had just had her hair done and was wearing very large, loop earrings. This had been done for her lover's benefit. She was conscious of all the eyes watching the two of them. The writer uses the simile: she felt like something projected on a 3D screen for all Onitsha to view. We are told very little about the stranger other than that he was tall and good-looking. We are told he didn't feel embarrassed by all of the attention. He would ruin her reputation...
Read more

A Bit of Singing and Dancing by Susan Hill

Image
Here you'll find 11 varied but intense stories about emotional struggles of ordinary people trying to get to grips with life. For some unfortunates, the adjustment is too great and tragedy is inevitable, something very characteristic of Hill's writing as many of you will already know. A Bit of Singing and Dancing is less dramatic and not quite so tragic. I can stay out here just as long as I like, I can do anything I choose, anything at all, for now I am answerable only to myself. Esme is still coming to terms with her mother's death and her new-found freedom. She is over 50 years of age and has reluctantly been forced into caring for her forthright and domineering bedridden mother for 11 years prior to her death. She had been half-alive satisfying her mother's needs and repressing her own needs and desires. Her mother's death had given her a new lease of life, an unexpected freedom which also attracted fear and bewilderment to someone who had been so sheltered...
Read more